If I were to go Mac...

[misteron]

MBP is looking way too expensive so I'd go MB or stick with PC
Main reason for the switch would be lack of 6pin FW port on any PC laptop, and lack of choice (info/specs) to deal with when buying a mac.

If I "switch" I would be running XP on the macbook fo sho! as I don't want to spend time learning a new OS.

So is there actually any benefit to using Mac hardware if not running Mac OS?
I see people mention MBP a lot... is MB good enough?

And finally, if you'd be so kind, do either of these macbooks look good?

979euro
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 GHz ( Dual-Core )
3 MB - L2 Cache
1 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz - PC2-5300 ( 2 x 512 MB )
120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - integrated
13.3" TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Controller
Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0 EDR (not sure what this part means)
MacOS X 10.5

1165euro
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz ( Dual-Core )
3 MB - L2 Cache
2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz - PC2-5300 ( 2 x 1 GB )
160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
DVD±RW (±R DL) - integrated
Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Controller
Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0
Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
MacOS X 10.5

thanks for any help

[Winston]

I use macs, and I like 'em. But mostly for the OS.

I'd say if you're not going to use OSX at all, just save yourself money and get a PC.

BTW, learning OSX isn't that hard.

[MartinOM28V]

The MB works perfectly for Ableton Live performance, you won't need a MBP.

These both look good. The only difference between the two listed are second one has a slightly faster processor (but even the 'slower' one is faster than what I have and mine works wonderfully), a little bigger hard drive and it can burn CDs and DVDs. The ethernet mumbo-jumbo essentially means it has built-in wireless network support. You wouldn't go wrong with either of these, although at some point you may want to add more RAM.

Mac OSX 10.5 comes with something called "Boot Camp" so you can easily switch back and forth between running it in OSX and XP. The advantage of running it in OSX is that hardware and software are designed to work together which makes it operate more efficiently.

It's really very easy to switch over to Mac. I was a Windows user from 3.0 to XP and never tried a Mac until 2006. It took maybe two days, tops, to get used to the minor differences.

[misteron]

I'm sure it's not hard, its just that I've heard people saying that after switching it took them a while to be fluent.
I could do without the strain on my time as theres alerady enough things to be gotten out of the way of my music-making time.
It would be especially cool to hear form folks on here who made the switch?

Edit when I saw this:

It's really very easy to switch over to Mac. I was a Windows user from 3.0 to XP and never tried a Mac until 2006. It took maybe two days, tops, to get used to the minor differences.

Waow that is reassuring. Thanks for your comments re specs

[babkubwa]

Xp works a charm on my wifes imac. installed last year so I could run soundforge, dblue glitch and a few other bits,

My main reason for buying a macbook pro when I needed a laptop was to run Logic which only runs on osx.

On either computer - osx or windows seems to run equally well. Not particularly impressed with osx over windows - I am impressed at not having to fix/configure or reinstall either of them for the whole year that I've switched. I'm guessing this is down the machines parts being compatible and having a decent set of drivers for both os

As it says in the last post - very easy to learn osx, windows and osx are far more similar than different. I don't really care which one I'm using.

If cost is a factor, and your not intending on using logic ( I had to get into it as part of my uni course, ((finding it fantastic btw! try it sometime)) - just get a decent pc.

Take screen size into consideration, - a 13 inche screen can become quite annoying if using any plugins/floating windows. you could easily be lacking ports on a macbook too.

[bosonHavoc]

I'm sure it's not hard, its just that I've heard people saying that after switching it took them a while to be fluent.
I could do without the strain on my time as theres alerady enough things to be gotten out of the way of my music-making time.
It would be especially cool to hear form folks on here who made the switch?

Edit when I saw this:

It's really very easy to switch over to Mac. I was a Windows user from 3.0 to XP and never tried a Mac until 2006. It took maybe two days, tops, to get used to the minor differences.

Waow that is reassuring. Thanks for your comments re specs

its realy no big deal..

only tricky part is hotkeys.. the apple key does what ctrl key does but its where the alt key is on a pc lol and the alt key on a mac is where the ctrl key is on the pc

i make music on a pc and do graphic design on my mac G4.

osx is a no brainer it just works

winxp needs to get smacked around on occasion but works fine too.
just back everything up cause when you get to smackin some times windows gets to crashin lol....

[misteron]

only tricky part is hotkeys.. the apple key does what ctrl key does but its where the alt key is on a pc lol and the alt key on a mac is where the ctrl key is on the pc

on that note http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... 185#676185

[Damon_Chambers]

if you want to use a macbook for God's sake just use osx. i was in IT for 5 years, worked on pc computers, switched to osx last year and LOVE it. i was scared at first too, but it took me about a day to figure out the os. its very basic and simple. if you can work around in xp and cant in osx there is something wrong.

[misteron]

Thanks Damon.
I suppose the main thing I'm thinking of is things like system tweaks - they can get pretty nitty gritty.
But is it true what people say - that none of that is necessary on mac?
I mean it can't be optimised for music right out of the box, right?
So how much tweaking does osx need to get it to stage / studio?

[babkubwa]

if you want to use a macbook for God's sake just use osx. i was in IT for 5 years, worked on pc computers, switched to osx last year and LOVE it. i was scared at first too, but it took me about a day to figure out the os. its very basic and simple. if you can work around in xp and cant in osx there is something wrong.

If your willing to pay the premium for a mac computer - get logic as well. such a good buy now. Not quite intuitive as live but a ridiculous amount of good shit for minimum price right now.

|f there was no logic , think I would have been unlikely to pay the extra for a second mac, nice as they are

[leonardrock]

Get a Mac, learn the OS.

I bought a MBP last summer after a lifetime of PC's. I have determined the following to be true for me at least:

Per unit of time....

With PC - 50% creative productivity, 50% system maintenance
With Mac - 85% creative productivity, 15% system maintenance

With my PC's there was always a freakin' checklist before I could record something. Now--and I'm not saying Macs are perfect--when I turn the thing on, I can at least get right to work.

[gomi]

So is there actually any benefit to using Mac hardware if not running Mac OS?
I see people mention MBP a lot... is MB good enough?

two things spring to mind.

coreaudio (and midi)

http://developer.apple.com/audio/overview.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_Audio

but sometimes thats not important to a musicians workflow.
but they do me good.

[tylenol]

MBP is looking way too expensive so I'd go MB or stick with PC
Main reason for the switch would be lack of 6pin FW port on any PC laptop, and lack of choice (info/specs) to deal with when buying a mac.

If I "switch" I would be running XP on the macbook fo sho! as I don't want to spend time learning a new OS.

So is there actually any benefit to using Mac hardware if not running Mac OS?
I see people mention MBP a lot... is MB good enough?

A macbook would be fine (Live 7 isn't that much slower than Live 5, which would even run on a fast G3.) Honestly, though, I don't see the point in buying a mac if you're only going to run windows on it, there are cheaper laptops. Part of what you're paying for with mac hardware is OS X, which is wonderful and well worth learning. If the point of the macbook is to run live, I think it works near-identically in OS X and windows. The real issue using OS X is not any kind of difficulty with the operating system (I think it would be very easy to learn), but in making sure all your plugins will transfer. If you use a lot of freeware, the odds are they won't; at this point most commercial plugins that support mac at all have a UB version, atmosphere/trilogy being the exceptions. But, some commercial plugins are not cross platform at all (e.g. wusikstation).

[Tarekith]

It took me about 1 week to get used to OSX coming from XP. IF you're worried about music making, just launch Live as soon as you turn it on and you'll be right back in familar land. At first OSX will be a little weird, because somethings are really a lot like Windows, just a little different. I guarantee you'll be thinking OSX does some stuff really stupid.

At first.

Then you get it, and it all makes sense. There's NO, repeat NO system tweaks you need to do to work in OSX with audio like on Windows. Buy the MB, get home, enter your contact info, install your apps, get to work. That's it. I've never met anyone who didn't think OSX was better after using it, except some weird yahoos here on this forum. Not having to worry about viruses or malware alone is worth it to me

[forge]

Thanks Damon.
I suppose the main thing I'm thinking of is things like system tweaks - they can get pretty nitty gritty.
But is it true what people say - that none of that is necessary on mac?
I mean it can't be optimised for music right out of the box, right?
So how much tweaking does osx need to get it to stage / studio?

I have tried all the audio system tweaks and several others and I have to say in the last 5 years I have noticed NO benefit to doing them, I really wouldnt waste your time, if you get a mac just use bootcamp and instll both so you can still use windows only software but for no other reason really, I'm sure you'll end up using OSX most